Abdoulaye Bio Tchané, president of Benin's Economic and Social Council (CES), led a delegation to Bucharest, Romania, for the Union of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions of the Francophone Space (UCESIF) meetings from September 28-30, 2026. The meetings included the General Assembly of UCESIF and the Francophone Social Dialogue Forum. Discussions focused on social dialogue, cooperation among consultative institutions, and their contributions to sustainable development policies.
During the General Assembly, Bio Tchané advocated for stronger exchanges between economic and social institutions of Francophone countries. His intervention emphasized concertation among different societal components and finding common responses to economic and social challenges. He also presented Benin's experience in economic and social dialogue, highlighting cooperation with similar institutions in Africa and the Francophone space.
Bio Tchané stressed that dialogue, concertation, and cooperation should enable consultative institutions to contribute more to addressing development challenges. This intervention occurred within the context of a meeting dedicated to "Peace as a Vector of Sustainable Development in the Francophone Space." The theme underscored the importance of social and civic dialogue mechanisms.
The opening ceremony brought together several Romanian and Francophone officials, including Sterică Fudulea, president of Romania's Economic and Social Council, and Eugène Aka Aouélé, president of UCESIF. Discussions examined the role of economic and social councils in social dialogue, consensus-building, and institutional cooperation.
Participants reviewed the financial and activity reports of UCESIF for 2025, as well as upcoming programs. The meeting takes place in anticipation of the next Francophonie Summit, focusing on peace and sustainable development. Delegates also exchanged views on the role of social and civic dialogue in economic and sociocultural relations.
Following the General Assembly, participants visited the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest and attended a plenary session of the Romanian Parliament. The Francophone Social Dialogue Forum continued on September 29 with two sessions on social dialogue and civic partners in economic, social, and sociocultural diplomacy.
The CES from Benin views this participation as an opportunity to exchange ideas with similar institutions and share national experiences in economic and social dialogue. The meetings concluded on September 30 at the headquarters of Romania's Economic and Social Council.
Key points
- Benin's CES president advocates for stronger institutional cooperation among Francophone countries.
- The meetings in Bucharest address peace, sustainable development, and social dialogue.
- Benin shares its experience in economic and social dialogue with Francophone institutions.
